I spend most of my fishing time on Snowbird Creek. I am going to start giving a report from my trips over there. Any questions are welcome.
Last weekend May 6-7, 06.
Fishing was decent water temp was 56%. Not one fish taken on a dry fly during the mid-mornging to 1:30 outing. The fish were taking large golden stones. Took 6 fish most in the first hour fishing a large (#8 or #10) bead head squirrel tail nymph. Some other were caught on a second nymph (#14 bh hairs ear). Actually a chub hit the smaller nympy so I cut it off! The morning session brought two brookies and 4 rainbows to hand, two of the bows were in the 12-13" range and jumped 5-6 times each (I love the spring time!)
A few were stockers (brookies), a few wild. Water was a little off color, suspect that was the reason for the lack of attention to the dries.
Later (last hour of day light) I did find several fish rising to golden stones or yellow caddis, they took the stone! 11 & 13" brown and one smaller brookie. These fish look healthy (fat) are definately strong, the brookies were dull. Is that a stocker trait or just a trait of the season.
Anyway I bet I will fish golden stones, dry or wet or yellow caddis for the better part of the summer.
The creek is full of good szed golden stones. I was fishing about 6 miles above the Lake.
Tight lines,

I hate to ask a stupid question, but where exactly is Snowbird Creek? I've heard about it, but I don't make it over to western NC a lot.

I have fished some delayed harvest sections of the Upper Wautauga and had a blast. I figure since I paid for a full year of fishing the tarheel state (which was less than my home state's license), I should take advantage of the great opportunities over there.

I'm not trying to get any "honey holes" from you, just needed to know where abouts it is. Access points would be nice too. I was looking over my NC Gazeteer and couldn't locate Snowbird. Maybe I need glasses!

Hi Charles,
Sorry I just figured.......... ! Snowbird is just this side of Robbinsville. If you follow 129 to 143 (Massey Branch Rd), turn right then follow the Snowbird road signs you cant miss it! Really not too much info about honey holes. I think the creek fishes about as good top to bottom, there are about 12 miles of mostly public access on the creek. For that matter the backcountry section adds another ~ 7 miles. Look for Robbinsville and Snowbird Mountain on the Gazetteer. I mostly fish above Robinson's Grocery, go past Robinson's, make the 180 to follow Snowbird. (if you go straight you will find yourself on Dick's Branch road. You will pass a little cattle farm and you can pull over there at a small utilties bldg, or you can continue on up toward the backcountry (another mile) you will turn right to cross a small bridge after crossing the first bridge over the creek. From here it is 6 miles to the backcountry.
If you want to fish for brookies (wild exclusively) you will need to hike about 3.5 miles minimum. Snowbird is about the largest wild brookie stream in the Southern Appalachians. I could go on and on.
Lots of fishing opportintiies! Not a delayed harvest stream though! You never know when a 15" fish will smack your fly, maybe larger! Winter is the time for the big fish though, they run out of Santeelah Lake....... Steelhead, most in the 16-19" range some larger though. I can forward pics to your email, don't know how to list them on this site.
Hope that helps, other questions; don't hesitate to ask.
Tight lines, That is funny that the NC license (out of state) is cheaper than TN in state!

Hey Byron,
I am well, not fishing enough though. I am supposed to go with a customer Friday and am afraid I will have to cancel on him because of work. Boy thats a tough decision!
Have you been down to the Panacea area yet this year?
Hope all is well with you all,
John

Well as I said I would make these posts, so I will. Spent last weekend on Snowbird and the water was mostly high and off color.. As things cleared the fishing did improve. My swung streamers went unnoticed in the high muddy water on Saturday. Sunday morning the water was alittle clearer and lower. Managed a few fish on the Golden Stone Dry # Not enough to make me feel really good about it so I changed to larger and smaller and did about the same. Did well enough on the dries to ignore the nymphs. I fished with a friend until dark Sunday and we hit a big pool before dark and waited for rising trout until dark. I waited and fished the wrong fly (#14 EHC) and came up empty. My friend fished a stimulator and caught a couple in 30 minutes, one of which was a 16-17' wild (and fat) brown! He had no idea it was a big fih, it was sipping so daintily! He was fishing a 7' - 3wt. Yes the fight took a while. I will be back in that pool Saturday as the sun sets with any luck, fishing a Stonefly! In the 3 hours fishing side by side we probably managed 10 fish, broke off two, one on the strike, the other a nice rainbow should have been netted, ran downstream from upstream (once the leader was in the tip and broke off) nearly breaking the rod in the process! A hike up on Huckleberry Knob with frisbee in hand on Saturday was beautiful. If you have not made the hike, it is an easy one off the Skyway to a big bald at 5,500 ft. The veiws are fantastic.
Tight lines,

I have not kept up with these as I had planned, but was over on Snowbird last weekend and fished Saturday and Sunday. Where I fished I did not see another angler either day. Fishing was decent for mostly smaller fish. I sat with the lantern on for a little while Friday night and saw tiny caddis and stoneflies. Not one mayfly. Caddis were cream (20's?) and the Stones were yellow and small 16's water is low and clear. I caught fish on small bh hare's ears and small Elk Hair Caddis with yellow body. Probably caught more fish on a beetle or ant dry than any other though and on one stretch with a 100 yard grass bank I should have tried a hopper! I did manage several browns on the beetles and ants which were hanging out under overhanging branches even though it was sunny. I did go down to 5x (something I really rarely do). No big fish, but a couple in the 12" range and did break off one on the hook set and did see a couple of others (bigger fish) that were just too weary for my offerings in the skinny water.
Questions, comments or snide remarks?

Im going to be stayin in black mountain with my dad sometime next spring at the ridgecrest place(a conference). last time we went to curtis creek and the south toe river and did pretty good,are there any other good streams. well try to look you up and do some fishing with you if you want to.